Caitlin Clark captured MVP honors at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament after leading Team USA in both scoring and playmaking during its unbeaten campaign in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Across five games, Clark averaged 11.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists. She finished with 58 points, 32 assists and eight rebounds, along with a team-high 13 turnovers and the most total minutes played.
However, many fans online argued that Kahleah Copper may have been more deserving of the award than Clark. Howard averaged 10.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, including a team-high plus-112 rating across five games.
Here’s what some fans are saying about the MVP debate, with calls for Howard’s recognition, especially after she was also left off the All-Star Five, which included Clark and Kelsey Plum of Team USA, Cecilia Zandalasini of Italy, Megan Gustafson of Spain and Imani McGee-Stafford of Puerto Rico.
Breaking Down Caitlin Clark vs. Rhyne Howard
Caitlin Clark made an emphatic return after an injury-riddled 2025 campaign. In her first game against Senegal, she posted 17 points and 12 assists, then followed it up with a quieter outing of eight points, two assists and three rebounds, along with a block and a steal against Puerto Rico.
She then delivered back-to-back double-digit scoring performances, tallying 12 points on five shots with five assists against Italy, and 14 points on 11 shots with six assists against New Zealand. She closed the group stage with seven points and seven assists to complete the sweep for Team USA.
Howard scored 21 points in the opener, along with five rebounds. She then had two single-digit outings, finishing with five points on seven shots against Puerto Rico and six points on two shots against Italy.
Against New Zealand, she bounced back with 18 points, while she went scoreless against Spain on four shot attempts but still recorded a plus-14 rating.
Clark was the more consistent player despite her turnovers, and while she logged more minutes, she made them count, posting a 73 efficiency rating — the third-highest in the tournament behind Gustafson (87) and Cubaj (74).
Clark, playing in her first senior national team qualifying event, secured MVP honors, adding to her résumé after also winning the Most Valuable Player award at the 2021 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup, where she helped the United States capture the gold medal.
